By Arjay L. Balinbin
Reporter
AT THE CELEBRATION of Bacolod City’s 39th MassKara Festival, President Rodrigo R. Duterte gave village chiefs and policemen there a stern warning against drug trafficking, saying he will have them killed.
“Kayong mga barangay captain — may barangay captain dito, p_____ i__ mo, gusto kitang ipangalanan pero [pag]bigyan kita. Huminto ka o umalis ka sa Bacolod. Pumunta ka doon sa Spratly, doon ka maliligo araw-araw,” the President said in his televised speech in Bacolod City on Saturday evening, Oct. 27. (You village captains — there is a village captain here…I want to name you, but I will give you [a chance]. You stop or leave Bacolod. You go to Spratly [Islands] and bathe there every day).
“Papatayin talaga kita. Magsumbong ka na kung sinong sumbongan mo (I will really kill you. You can report now to whoever you run to). Human Rights, you can go to hell with them. Do not destroy the young. May barangay captain dito nasa droga (There is a village captain here who is involved in drugs),” he also said.
He added: “Mamamatay ka talaga, tingnan mo (You will really die, watch out)…. I wanted to be nice but, you know, it’s irritating na pati dito, mga pulis, kayo rin mga pulis, l_____ kayo (that even the police here. You policemen. You son of a _____). Bantay kayo. Isali ko kayo lahat. Eh itong pinahuli ko puro pulis itong mga y____ na ito (You all watch out, I will include you. These people whom I ordered arrested are all policemen).”
The President also clarified his arrest order against former customs intelligence officer Jimmy S. Guban after the Senate said he would remain in its custody during its inquiry on illegal drugs is not a “cover-up” for the former customs official, regarding his involvement in the multi-billion peso drug shipment last August.
“Nagkamali itong mga senador. Akala nila gina cover-up ko si Guban. I mean they can interrogate Guban pero gusto ko siya hulihin kasi may krimen,” Mr. Duterte said. (The senators got it wrong. They thought I was covering up for [Mr.] Guban. I mean, they can interrogate [Mr.] Guban, but I want him arrested for his crime).
Mr. Guban has been detained in the Senate since Sept. 11 after the Senate blue-ribbon committee cited him in contempt for “lying” during a hearing on the P6.8-billion worth of smuggled methamphetamine or shabu.
On former Customs commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña, whom he transferred to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Mr. Duterte said: “Hindi corrupt ‘yan. Hindi ko ku’nin ‘yan kung corrupt. Sigurado ako, nalusutan lang talaga kasi hindi nila kaya — kasi insider eh.” (He is not corrupt. I would not hire him if he were corrupt. I am certain the smugglers just really got past them, because there were insiders).

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